Help! uneven paint

I was wondering if someone here might be able to help me with a problem I have been having while painting my new flat. I can't seem to make the paint appear even on some of the walls it's coming up blotchy/ patchy, the pictures below can probably explain much better than I ever could.

When you look at the walls close up it looks like the darker areas are a different texture for the rest, again please review the pictures below. We have put near to 4 coats on some of these walls, the extra coats seem to make no differences. We've been using a 'homebase' branded white matt paint but have recently purchased some 'dulux' matt brilliant white, in the hope that this might be better for the rest of the flat.

I'm kinda of at a lose what to do with the effected walls a number of paint shops have suggested using 'bulls eye 123 plus' primer over the patchy areas and then repainting it but I wanted to try and find out what people opinions here is before doings so. Any help would be amazing thanks.

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Help! uneven paint

Was this new drywall your painting over?
It's an old edwardian building that has been converted in to a number of flats. We moved in pretty recently but I would imagine that all the walls have already have a number of coats of paint as it for rented before had. We were painting straight on to old paint, washed the walls done first and then painted over that.

Was it primed before painting?
It's had to tell, we never primed it but as noted above we have been painting on top of old paint.

Are they plaster walls?
yes plaster walls

Was there any water damage on the walls?
No water damage

Why flat paint? It will show ever hand print, near impossible to clean and will catch dust.
Honest I prefer the look of it but I'm not in the trade so wasn't aware of the problems with it that you have pointed out.

Help! uneven paint

I used to have lots of problums when painting plaster walls.
Brown tobbaco looking stains running down the walls, uneven coats ect.
Now I just prime with this primer http://rustoleum.com/CBGProduct.asp?pid=221
Once dry just go over it with reguler latex paint.
I'd have them add some black tint to the primer to make it light gray if your sticking with the gray paint.
This applys any time your also going with a dark color like hunter green or red.

Help! uneven paint

Quote:

Originally Posted by joecaption

Why flat paint? It will show ever hand print, near impossible to clean and will catch dust.

Absolute nonsense! Yet again from this poster. Quality flat paints are as washable as anything else and no more prone to dust. The fact is that the higher sheen you use, the more surface imperfections will show. If flat is what you want, go ahead and use it with confidence. Paint store paint though.

As for the staining you need to source that. If you have something leaking behind the wall, no primer is going to fix it. Zinser shellac based primer/sealer will help with stains bleeding through if that is the issue.